I Don’t Like the Shape of My Breasts: What Are My Options?

Female breasts appear at puberty, evolve through adolescence, and reach full maturity by early adulthood. But even though mature breasts are finished developing, they’re certainly not done changing: Women experience many natural breast changes as time goes by.

For as suddenly as they may seem to appear, most natural breast changes happen gradually. Most of these changes are also unwanted: Breasts that were once relatively firm, round, and lifted are now soft, saggy, droopy, deflated, or pendulous. If this sounds familiar, we can help.

Thanks to ongoing advances in plastic surgery, you don’t have to live with breasts that make you self-conscious about your body. At Sterling Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, PA, in Sarasota, Florida, board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Mark Mathieson can address a full scope of cosmetic breast concerns — including undesirable breast shape. 

Here, Dr. Mathieson discusses your surgical options for attaining the breast shape you’re after. 

Breast enhancement

If your breasts are deflated or asymmetrical, breast augmentation may be the ideal solution. Using FDA-approved silicone or saline implants to enhance the size and shape of your breasts, breast augmentation is the go-to treatment for women who want shapely, perfectly balanced breasts.

While most women think about how breast implants can increase their cup size — or restore it following pregnancy, weight loss, or nursing — the type of implant you choose also determines the shape of your breasts. 

Anatomical implants mimic the tear-shaped appearance of natural breasts (rounder and fuller below the nipple and more tapered at the top), while round implants make your breasts look full all the way around. Beyond size, shape, and firmness, breast augmentation helps resolve asymmetry, or breast imbalance, to create a uniform cup size and well-proportioned figure.

Breast lift surgery

Sometimes, breast shape concerns are all about the droop — as women get older, changing hormone levels and gravity combine to stretch and weaken the skin that supports breast tissues and keeps your breast mounds firmly in place. This can leave your breasts looking saggier and lower than before. 

Breast lift surgery raises saggy, low-hanging breasts by removing excess tissue, tightening the surrounding skin envelope, and raising your breast mounds to a higher position. A breast lift creates a perkier, more youthful contour along your bustline by restoring your breasts to their natural position on your chest.

While it may not change your cup size, a breast lift can subtly redefine the shape of your breasts and make them more symmetrical as it restores a pert silhouette. For most women, this means increased confidence and better-fitting bras. 

Cosmetic breast reduction 

For women with very large breasts who seek a medical breast reduction, removing excess breast fat, glandular tissue, and skin to attain a breast size that’s more in proportion to their body is all about alleviating back pain, shoulder grooving, poor posture, and persistent skin rashes associated with excessively large breasts.

But for many women, the cosmetic results of breast reduction surgery are just as important. In 2019, over 46,000 women in the United States had an aesthetic breast reduction to attain smaller, symmetrical, well-proportioned breasts with centered nipples and areolas. 

If the pendulous or expansive nature of an excessively large chest is your primary breast shape concern, a breast reduction can give you the breast size and shape that fits your figure.

Your perfect breast shape

To figure out which breast-shaping approach is best for you, Dr. Mathieson considers your aesthetic and cosmetic breast needs: Do your shape goals require a cup size change, a lift, or both? 

If you have minimal skin laxity, breast augmentation may be all you need to achieve shapelier breasts that are perfectly proportioned. Likewise, if you’re happy with the size of your breasts but not their position or shape, a breast lift may be all it takes to restore an ideal silhouette. 

Or, you may be a good candidate for total breast rejuvenation, a procedure that combines a breast lift with implants to help you attain a firmer, fuller shape, a more symmetrical silhouette, and a tighter, more lifted chest contour.

No matter what your breast shape goals happen to be, Dr. Mathieson can help you achieve them. Call 941-208-6696 to learn more or schedule a cosmetic breast surgery consultation at Sterling Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, PA, today.